Brake-beam support and guide



Sept. 23 1924.

E. G. BUSSE BRAKE BEAM SUPPORT AND GUIDE Filed Jan. 21. 1924 Patented Sept, 23, 1924.

EDWIN G. Bnssn, or onroneo, rrnnvors.

omen ASSIGNOE TO CHIGA'GO RAILWAY EQU1P- BRAKE-BEAM SUPPORT AND GUIDE.

Application filed January 21, 1924. Serial No. 687,6'65.

To all whom it may concern:

7 Be it known that l- EDWIN Bnssn, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Brake Beam Supports and Guides, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same" My invention relates to railroad rolling stock and consists in an improved support and guide for brake beams. It may be used either as a third point support located in the center of the beam or for fourth point supports located near the ends of the beam.

The objects of my invention are to provide a support and a guide adapted to be applied to the brake beam and to extend rearwardly therefrom and to be yieldingly attached to a fixed portion of the truclg such as the spring plank, so as to serve as a guide for the brake beam in its forward or brake applying movement irrespective of the wear on the brake shoe, whetherthe wear on the shoebe even or uneven, and irrespective of the exact height of the beam relative to the center of the wheel to which it is ap lied. y y

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrat e' my invention- I Figure" 1 isa cross se'ction through a'beam and the spring plank of a truck to which my invention is applied and indicating the brake head, shoe, and hanger in a normal position. V y I V Figure2 illustrates thepartsshown in Figure 1 in an extreme operating position Figures 3 and dare similar sections illustrating modified constructions embodying my invention.

Figures 5 and 6 are fragmentary sections illustrating other modifications of my invention. i

InFi'g'ure 1 the fixed member of the car truck is the spring plank 1 'in front of. which at the usualdi'stance is the brake beani here shown'as a channel iron 2 which will mountat its ends'the usual brake head 3 provided with ashoe 4' and pivotally sun ported from'the truck frame in the "usual manner by a han'ger 'fi.

Secured to the spring plank l is a bracket 6 extending upwardly from the front edge of the spring plankand having a leg 7 bent backwardly and inclined downwardly to lie in a plane approximately tangent to the arc of movement of the brake beam. The rear end of leg 7 extends downwardly at 8 and is provided with a return flange 9 parallel with leg 7 and spaced substantially therefrom. v

Secured to brake beam 2 by means of a clip 9 and bolt 10 is a rigid support and guide member 11 extending rearwardly from the brake beamand inclined at an angle corresponding to the inclination of the leg 7 of the bracket on the spring plank. The guide extends through a slot 12 in the vertical portion of the bracket and is then provided with alongitudinal slot 13. EX- te nding transversely through legs 7, guide 11 and flange 9 is a bolt 14 and coiled about this bolt and compressed between guide 11 and legs 7 and flange 9, respectively, are coiled springs 15 serving to yieldingjly maintain a predetermined angular position of guide 11 as the latter moves forward with the brake beam upon application of the brakes. y y

Any departure from the movement of the brake beam along theline A, or any pivotal movement of the beam, such as will result from wear of the brake shoe, (if the hanger andhanger bearings or other causes will be accommodated by springs15 which nevertheless serve to guidethe beam infthe proper path and, in'the event of failureof the hanger cooperate with bracketG to support the beam substantially in its normal position. y

In Figure 2 an extreme position of the shoe, beam and guide is indicated. 'Such a position would resultirom unevena'ppli cation of the brakes'due'to' various reasons familiar to railroad men, and it wi11 be noted that the pivotal movement'of thehead and beam due to the wedge-shaped shoe 16 has been accommodated by the compression of upper spring 15 and the expansion of lower spring 15 without undue binding of the support and withoutanydistortionof the latter or of brackets 6. v p

The constructionshown in Figure 3 is similar to that just describedbut it willbe noted that the roar vertical portion and return flange of bracket 6 has been omitted in bracket 17 and the lower seat for spring 18 is the nut 19 on bolt 20. The functioning of springs 18 and 21 and of the bracket and guide correspond to the functions of the corresponding elements in Figure 1.

A further modification is illustrated in Figure 4 in which the bracket 22 extends from the spring plank beneath the brake beam 23 and is slotted at 24 to receive the bolt 25 and the springs 26 are seated upon the opposite faces of the slotted flange of the bracket and upon the nut of the bolt and the face of the element 27 secured to the beam. .In this construction the bolt 25 forms a rigid extension of the element 27 and slides through slot 24 when the beam is moved to and from braking position.

In Figure 5 the spring plank bracket 28 and beam guide 29 extend downwardly from the parts to which they are attached, but their relation to each other and cooperation during operation of the brakes are practically the same as in Figures 1 and 2.

In Figure 6 the bracket member 30 extends forwardly and is slot-ted at 31 to accommodate bodily movement of the beam guide, which is provided with spaced parallel legs 32 and 33 between which bolt 34 extends to position springs 35 which are compressed between the bracket and respec tive legs of the guide and slide along the bracket with the movement of the beam.

In all of these forms the guide element and bracket member may be formed of rigid or flexible material without interference with the free operation ofthe beam and without fear of distortion or breakage when.

extreme positions of the shoe are produced.

In each of these forms it will. be noted that the tightening of the nut on the bolt will increase the compression of the springs and this feature provides for the adjustment of the yielding resistance offered by the de vice to the pivotal movement of the beam.

Obviously other modifications inmy invention' may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention as expressed in the following claims.

I claim 1. A brake beam guide and support com prising a rigid element secured to the brake beam and extending outwardly therefrom. a fixed member having spaced surfaces substantially parallel with said element and on opposite sides thereof, and spring means between said elements and each of said sur faces.

' I 2. In a car truck, a fixed truck member, a

her, a brake beam. a rigid guide element secured to said beam, and yielding means carrying said element on said member.

4. In combination, a spring plank, a

5. Incombination, a spring plank, a brake beam, a guide element secured to said beam extending over said spring plank, and means mounted on said spring plank for yieldingl directing sliding movement of said element over the plank.

6. In a car truck, a brake beam, a rigid guide element thereon, a fixedslotted truck member slidably mounting said element in its slot to permit pivotal movement thereof, and means yieldiiigly directing the pivotal movement of said element.

7. In a car truck, a brake beam, a fixed truck member provided with a slot, a guide element fixed to the beam and extending through said slot and pivoting in said'slot in a plane normal to the beam axis, and means yieldingly holding said element in a predetermined angular position in said slot.

8. In a car truck, a. brake beam, a fixed truck member provided with a slot, a guide element fixed to the beam and extending through said slot and pivoting in said slot in a plane normal to the beam axis, .and ad justable means-yieldingly holding said element in a predetermined angularposition in said slot.

. 9. In combination, a spring plank, a brake beam, a guide secured thereto and extending rearwardly over said spring plank, a bracket on sa1dspr1ng-plank for engaging said guide, and means yieldingly determining the angular position of said guide in said bracket. V

10. In combination, a spring plank, an upstanding bracket thereon having aleg above said plank inclined to the horizontal, a brake beam guide having a leg. substantially paralleling said bracket leg and movable longitudinally thereof, and a spring between said legs for yieldingly maintaining their parallelism.

11. In combination, a spring plank, an upstanding-bracket thereon having a leg above said plank inclined to the horizontal, a brake beam guide having a leg substantially paralleling said bracket leg and 1110V4 able longitudinally thereof, a spring between said legs for yieldingly maintaining their parallelism, and means for adjusting the compression of said spring.

12. In combination, a spring plank, an upstanding bracket thereon having a leg above said plank inclined to the horizontal and provided with a return bend. parallel with and spaced from said leg, a brake beam guide having a leg. slidable between said bracket leg and flange, and springs between said guide leg and said bracket leg and flange for yieldingly maintaining the plistance between the same and said guide 13. In a car truck, a spring plank, an up standing bracket thereon having a leg above said plank inclined to the horizontal and provided with a return bend parallel and spaced from said leg, and a brake beam guide having a leg slidably retained between said bracket leg and flange.

14. In a car truck, a brake beam, and a rigid guide for said beam yieldingly carried by the truck in the rear of said beam.

15. In a car truck, a brake beam, a rigid guide element secured thereto, and flexible means positioned in the rear of said brake beam for yieldingly supporting said element and beam and yieldingly guiding said element in the movement of the beam to braking position.

16. In combination, a spring plank, a bracket secured to said spring plank, a brake beam, and a rigid brake beam guide and support yieldingly mounted on said bracket in the rear of said brake beam so as to move vertically and pivotally relatively to said spring plank.

17. In combination, a brake beam, a guide element secured to said beam and inclined therefrom in the plane of movement of the beam, and means disposed transversely of the guide for yieldingly maintaining the latter in said plane.

18. In a car truck, a brake beam, a guide element securing said beam and extending rearwardly and downwardly therefrom, and a spring element compressed transversely of the guide for yieldingly maintaining the inclination of the latter.

19. In combination, a spring plank, a brake beam, a guide element secured to said beam extending over said spring plank and slotted longitudinally, an element secured to said spring plank and passing through the slot in said guide element, and a spring on said element compressed between said guide and a seat spaced therefrom.

20. In combination, a spring plank, a brake beam, a guide element secured to said beam extending over said spring plank and slotted longitudinally, an element secured to said spring plank and passing through the slot in said guide element, and springs on said element on opposite sides of said guide and compressed between the latter and seats spaced therefrom.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature this 17th day of January, 1924.

EDWIN G. BUSSE. 

